State of the art primary batteries do not provide adequate run time in portable electronic devices. Soldiers typically carry several pounds of batteries per day in the field, which on multi-day missions becomes a substantial portion of their total load. The US Army plans to transition from using individual batteries in each device the soldier carries, to larger, higher-power central power sources which would take advantage of the superior energy density and specific energy of larger fuel cell based power sources. This transition will not happen immediately, and in the mean time, better, longer lasting “batteries” are desired to ease the burden on the soldier.